Court says Centre should submit a status report in this regard as the state government had been making a plea for the same, reports Prashant Pratap.

Patna High Court has asked the central government to file a status report-cum-affidavit with regard to state government's proposal seeking Rs 1906.75 crores assistance for tackling the Naxalite problem. The state government had sought assistance on February 25.

While hearing the PIL filed by People's Watch and others in connection with the Jehanabad jailbreak incident, the court said that the Centre should submit a status report in this regard as the state government had been making a plea for the same.

On April 10, the Centre sought one-month's time to reply on the issue on the ground that the proposal for special package required thorough examination.

Assistant Solicitor General of India Ravi Ranjan representing the Centre filed an affidavit stating that the state had been provided 4 battalions of Central Para military forces and 3 IR battalions had been sanctioned to deal with the Naxalite problems.

Advocate General of Bihar PK Shahi informed the court that the Centre was however silent on the special package to Bihar for police modernisation, development of extremist affected areas and other related matters.

Petitioner's Counsel Arvind Kumar said in the entire central government affidavit not a single word had been mentioned about the special status and special package to Bihar for tackling extremist menace in compliance of earlier court's directives.

After hearing the PILs, the division bench comprising Chief Justice JN Bhatt and Justice Shailesh Kumar Sinha posted the matter on August 31.